1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a play list generation device, an audio information provision apparatus, an audio information provision system, and an audio information provision method for providing audio information suitable to the image of the target to which the audio information is to be provided or the taste of the user; a program for causing a computer to generate a play list; and a recording medium having such a program recorded thereon.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, services including a play list generation service and a background music provision service have been available as a service for providing songs. These services are realized in the form in which specialists select audio information suitable to an individual user""s demand from a song database based on their specialized music knowledge, and provides a list of songs in the order determined by the specialists for the songs to be reproduced.
Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-98950 proposes a system for automatically and continuously providing songs. This system functions as follows. Each menu of a restaurant is assigned audio signal type information in advance. Background music of a genre which is suitable to the ordered menu is automatically selected based on the audio signal type information and played in the restaurant.
Radio programs and cable broadcasting programs, for example, may be considered to be a kind of play lists since they continuously provide songs.
However, in order to realize these services, specialized music knowledge is required. In order to fulfill the various demands of users in a play list generation service, a wide range of knowledge of past audio information and understanding of human sensibility regarding music are necessary. Since an enormous amount of new songs are created and marketed day by day, songs included in the play list are different depending on when the play list is ordered even though the demand of the users is the same. Therefore, the play list needs to be newly created or revised. In the system proposed in Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-98950, radio programs and cable broadcasting programs require specialized music knowledge in order to categorize the audio information and select songs suitable to time slots.
The system proposed in Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-98950 automatically switches the music genre. Therefore, there is a high possibility that songs which are not demanded by the restaurant customers are played. In the case of the radio programs and cable broadcasting programs, the program providers determine the songs to play. Therefore, play lists may not always fully satisfy the user""s demand. These services cannot reflect the user""s taste. By contrast, a company providing a play list generation service can generate a play list incorporating the user""s taste in addition to the conditions of the target to which the songs are to be provided. Therefore, a play list highly satisfying the user can be generated. In this case, however, the user needs to keep on using the same play list.
According to one aspect of the invention, a play list generation device for generating a play list of a first set of audio information streams in an order to be reproduced by a reproduction device is provided. The play list generation device includes a first database storing a first plurality of audio information streams; a condition input section for receiving a condition of a target to which the first set of audio information streams reproduced by the reproduction device are to be provided; a transfer information stream acquisition section for acquiring a transfer information stream which represents a transfer of impressions given to the target by reproduction of a second set of audio information streams in a prescribed order based on the condition; and a play list generation section for selecting, from the first plurality of audio information streams stored in the first database, a second plurality of audio information streams which give the target a transfer of impressions proximate to the transfer of impressions represented by the transfer information stream, and generating a play list including the selected second plurality of audio information streams as the first set of audio information streams.
In one embodiment of the invention, the condition input section includes an audio information stream number input section for receiving a number of audio information streams to be included in the play list. The play list generation section selects a number of audio information streams equal to the received number of audio information streams, based on a plurality of impressions representing at least a part of the transfer of impressions.
In one embodiment of the invention, the condition input section includes a time input section for receiving a reproduction time period of the play list. The play list generation section selects the second plurality of audio information streams so that a total reproduction time period of the play list is equal to or less than the received reproduction period, based on a plurality of impressions representing at least a part of the transfer of impressions.
In one embodiment of the invention, the condition input section includes an image input section for receiving an image of the play list. The transfer information stream acquisition section stores a plurality of transfer information streams, and selects a transfer information stream corresponding to the image.
In one embodiment of the invention, the first database stores a plurality of related information streams respectively corresponding to the first plurality of audio information streams stored in the first database. The plurality of related information streams each have a coordinate value representing a position of the corresponding audio information stream in a prescribed coordinate system defining impressions of audio information streams. The transfer information stream represents a plurality of coordinate values in the prescribed coordinate system. The play list generation section selects an audio information stream to be added to the play list, from at least one audio information stream corresponding to at least one related information stream having a coordinate value within a prescribed range from a reference coordinate value which is obtained based on the plurality of coordinate values, based on a distance between the coordinate value included in the at least one related information stream and the reference coordinate value.
In one embodiment of the invention, the condition input section includes a selection method input section for receiving a selection method of an audio information stream. The play list generation section includes an evaluation expression generation section for generating an evaluation expression based on the selection system, and selects an audio information stream to be added to the play list from the at least one audio information stream, further based on the generated evaluation expression.
In one embodiment of the invention, the condition input section includes a satisfaction degree input section for receiving satisfaction degree information which represents a satisfaction degree of the target presented by the selected audio information stream. The play list generation device further includes a second database which stores time information representing a time when an audio information stream is provided to the target and the satisfaction degree information. The play list generation section selects an audio information stream to be added to the play list from the at least one audio information stream, further based on at least one of the time information and the satisfaction degree information.
In one embodiment of the invention, the satisfaction degree information further represents the condition of the target and the time when the satisfaction degree is input.
In one embodiment of the invention, the play list generation device further includes an impression determination section for externally receiving an audio information stream and determining an impression of the received audio information stream based on a musical feature of the received audio information stream. The first database stores the received audio information stream as well as a reproduction time period of the received audio information stream and the determined impression.
According to another aspect of the invention, an audio information provision apparatus includes the above-described play list generation device; and a reproduction device for reproducing audio information streams selected by the play list generation device.
According to still another aspect of the invention, a play list generation method for generating a play list of a first set of audio information streams in an order to be reproduced by a reproduction device is provided. The play list generation method includes the steps of receiving a condition of a target to which the first set of audio information streams reproduced by the reproduction device are to be provided; acquiring a transfer information stream which represents a transfer of impressions given to the target by reproduction of a second set of audio information streams in a prescribed order based on the condition; and selecting, from a first plurality of audio information streams stored in a first database, a second plurality of audio information streams which give the target a transfer of impressions proximate to the transfer of impressions represented by the transfer information stream, and generating a play list including the selected second plurality of audio information streams as the first set of audio information streams.
In one embodiment of the invention, the step of receiving the condition includes the step of receiving a number of audio information streams to be included in the play list. The step of generating the play list includes the step of selecting a number of audio information streams equal to the received number of audio information streams, based on a plurality of impressions representing at least a part of the transfer of impressions.
In one embodiment of the invention, the step of receiving the condition includes the step of receiving a reproduction time period of the play list. The step of generating the play list includes the step of selecting the second plurality of audio information streams so that a total reproduction time period of the play list is equal to or less than the received reproduction period, based on a plurality of impressions representing at least a part of the transfer of impressions.
In one embodiment of the invention, the step of receiving the condition includes the step of receiving an image of the play list. The step of acquiring the transfer information stream includes the step of selecting a transfer information stream corresponding to the image.
In one embodiment of the invention, the first database stores a plurality of related information streams respectively corresponding to the first plurality of audio information streams stored in the first database. The plurality of related information streams each have a coordinate value representing a position of the corresponding audio information stream in a prescribed coordinate system defining impressions of audio information streams. The transfer information stream represents a plurality of coordinate values in the prescribed coordinate system. The step of generating the play list includes the step of selecting an audio information stream to be added to the play list, from at least one audio information stream corresponding to at least one related information stream having a coordinate value within a prescribed range from a reference coordinate value which is obtained based on the plurality of coordinate values, based on a distance between the coordinate value included in the at least one related information stream and the reference coordinate value.
In one embodiment of the invention, the step of receiving the condition includes the step of receiving a selection method of an audio information stream. The step of generating the play list includes the step of generating an evaluation expression based on the selection system. The step of selecting an audio information stream to be added to the play list selects the audio information stream further based on the generated evaluation expression.
In one embodiment of the invention, the step of receiving the condition includes the step of receiving satisfaction degree information which represents a satisfaction degree of the target presented by the selected audio information stream. The play list generation method further includes the step of storing time information representing a time when an audio information stream is provided to the target and the satisfaction degree information. The step of selecting an audio information stream to be added to the play list selects the audio information stream further based on at least one of the time information and the satisfaction degree information.
In one embodiment of the invention, the satisfaction degree information further represents the condition of the target and the time when the satisfaction degree is input.
In one embodiment of the invention, the play list generation method further includes the steps of externally receiving an audio information stream and determining an impression of the received audio information stream based on a musical feature of the received audio information stream, and storing the received audio information stream as well as a reproduction time period of the received audio information stream and the determined impression.
In one embodiment of the invention, the play list generation method further includes the step of reproducing the first set of audio information streams.
According to still another aspect of the invention, a program for causing a computer to execute generation processing of a play list of a first set of audio information streams in an order to be reproduced by a reproduction device is provided. The generation processing includes the steps of receiving a condition of a target to which the first set of audio information streams reproduced by the reproduction device are to be provided: acquiring a transfer information stream which represents a transfer of impressions given to the target by reproduction of a second set of audio information streams in a prescribed order based on the condition; and selecting, from a first plurality of audio information streams stored in a database, a second plurality of audio information streams which give the target a transfer of impressions proximate to the transfer of impressions represented by the transfer information stream, and generating a play list including the selected second plurality of audio information streams as the first set of audio information streams.
According to still another aspect of the invention, a computer-readable recording medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute generation processing of a play list of a first set of audio information streams in an order to be reproduced by a reproduction device is provided. The generation processing includes the steps of receiving a condition of a target to which the first set of audio information streams reproduced by the reproduction device are to be provided; acquiring a transfer information stream which represents a transfer of impressions given to the target by reproduction of a second set of audio information streams in a prescribed order based on the condition; and selecting, from a first plurality of audio information streams stored in a database, a second plurality of audio information streams which give the target a transfer of impressions proximate to the transfer of impressions represented by the transfer information stream, and generating a play list including the selected second plurality of audio information streams as the first set of audio information streams.
According to still another aspect of the invention, an audio information provision system including a server for generating a play list of a first set of audio information streams in an order to be reproduced by a reproduction device; and a terminal connected to the server via a network. The terminal includes a condition input section for receiving a condition of a target to which the first set of audio information streams reproduced by the reproduction device are to be provided. The server includes a database storing a plurality of audio information streams, a transfer information stream acquisition section for acquiring a transfer information stream which represents a transfer of impressions given to the target by reproduction of a second set of audio information streams in a prescribed order based on the condition, a play list generation section for generating a play list for selecting, from the first plurality of audio information streams stored in the database, a second plurality of audio information streams which give the target a transfer of impressions proximate to the transfer of impressions represented by the transfer information stream, and generating a play list including the selected second plurality of audio information streams as the first set of audio information streams, and an output section for outputting the generated play list. The terminal includes a storage section for storing the play list received from the server, and the reproduction device for reproducing the first set of audio information streams.
Thus, the invention described herein makes possible the advantages of providing a play list generation device, an audio information provision device, an audio information provision system, and an audio information provision method for providing audio information suitable to the image of the target to which the audio information is to be provided or suitable to the taste of the user without requiring the user to have specialized knowledge on audio information; a program for causing a computer to generate a play list; and a recording medium having such a program recorded thereon.
These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying figures.